This invention relates to business form assemblies, and more particularly, to such assemblies providing mailers.
An object of this invention is to provide an improved continuous business form assembly of at least two webs for collation and sealing into mailers.
Business forms are provided to users either in an essentially finished condition or in an intermediate condition. The finished condition is exemplified by closed and sealed mailers which are ready for mailing after the user has added his information by impact printer or ink jet printer. Intermediate condition mailers are those in which the interior of the form is exposed to the user. Information may be added to the interior of forms in the intermediate condition by impact printer. Generally, forms shipped in the intermediate condition have a heat sealable adhesive around at least a part of the periphery of the form so that the form may be finally closed and sealed. The final steps of the assembly process involve machines which fold or align the sheets of the form and subsequently apply heat and pressure to activate the heat seal glue around at least part of the periphery of the form.
In recent years, there has been a rapid growth in the use of non-impact (NIP) printers, such as laser printers, because of their versatility and variable printing. Problems have arisen, however, because the non-impact printers which use toner particles generate internal heat to fuse the particles forming the images. The higher temperatures required for fusing soften the hot melt adhesive, causing the glue on the open form to adhere to the internal rolls of the non-impact printers, thus fouling the machine. When such fouling occurs, many times the machine must be partially disassembled and cleaned. This is obviously time consuming and expensive. The present invention avoids this problem of the prior art by providing a business form assembly capable of use in conjunction with heat-generating printers.
In a principal aspect, the invention is an improved business form assembly comprising a message web having a message sheet and a cover web having a cover sheet. The message sheet has a longitudinal dimension between end edges along a longitudinal axis and a transverse dimension between marginal edges along a transverse axis. Marginal lines of perforations extend along the marginal edges fully between the end edges. Transverse, end lines of perforations extend along the end edges only between the marginal lines of perforations. No adhesive is present on any portion of the message sheet.
The message cover sheet has a longitudinal dimension between cover sheet end edges equal to the longitudinal dimension of the message sheet, and a transverse dimension between cover sheet marginal edges equal to the transverse dimension of the message sheet. The cover sheet is superimposed upon the message sheet and has marginal lines of adhesive along the cover sheet marginal edges. These adhesive lines extend fully between the cover sheet end edges and are nearer the cover sheet marginal edges than the message sheet marginal perforation lines are to the message sheet marginal edges. Transverse, end lines of adhesive are along the cover sheet end edges, extending fully between the cover sheet marginal edges and being nearer the cover sheet end edges than the message sheet end perforation lines are to the message sheet end edges. Preferably, cover sheet marginal and transverse, end lines of perforations are superimposed on the message sheet marginal and transverse, end lines of perforations. The marginal and end lines of adhesive adhere the cover sheet to the message sheet.
Other objects, advantages and features are part of the detailed description of the preferred embodiment. The detailed description follows a brief description of the drawing.